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E-mailMilitary forces under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) killed 12 Afghan civilians yesterday as two rockets misfired at the start of Operation Moshtarak—a military offensive staged by countries from the Global North against Afghan political party Taliban.
In a Washington Post online report, the "errant rockets" came from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, which was fired at the Nad Ali area believed to be a “stronghold” of Taliban.
"It's regrettable that in the course of our joint efforts, innocent lives were lost. We extend our heartfelt sympathies and will ensure we do all we can to avoid future incidents,” said NATO Commander General Stanley MacChrystal.
On his part, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai ordered an “investigation” on the incident and reminded NATO troops to “exercise caution” in the said military operation. Karzai was installed as “transitional president” by a coalition of Northern states and Afghan “anti-Taliban” forces in 2002 and was elected as President in 2004.
"The President has time and again stressed the fact that in this operation, the real win is to win the people, to protect the people, to give people hope for a better future, that is how we will win this war. More than killing anyone, including the opposition, it's about protecting civilians," said Afghan Presidential spokesperson Wahid Omar.
Operation Moshtarak is the latest military operation by Northern countries in war-torn Afghanistan, which has suffered from numerous wars dating back to their armed conflict with the socialist Soviet Union in the '80s. The operation drew 15,000 troops coming mainly from the United States (US) and Great Britain and is the first organized North-led offensive in Afghanistan under the administration of US President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Barack Obama.
"Of course casualties are something we have to come to expect when we're involved in these operations,” said Great Britain's defense secretary Bob Ainsworth on the said operation.
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